Back in March, Subaru revealed that it had formed a new internal performance division to expand and develop its line of sporty cars, and it previewed those models just a few months later. It marked a shift for the company that seemed content releasing special editions and handling packages. So what changed? According to an interview by Best Car in Japan, it has to do with hybrid sales. Plus, we should see some power increases in the new models.

 

Best Car interviewed Subaru's Chief Technical Officer Tetsuro Fujinuki, who confirmed that Subaru's new performance push is made possible by strong hybrid sales. The high sales of those vehicles, combined with their improved fuel economy over standard combustion variants, means that Subaru's corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) numbers have improved. As a result, the company has enough breathing room to launch niche performance vehicles that might have brought down the CAFE number too far. He also expects the brand's EVs to help, too.